Post Gastric Sleeve Diet

Why diet after the weight loss surgery?

After the gastric sleeve surgery, one needs to follow a specific diet, often referred to as a post gastric sleeve diet.

There are two main reasons why one needs to follow a specific diet after the surgery. Firstly, it facilitates recovery and fastens the healing process. Secondly, it enhances the chances of long-term weight loss success.

Many doctors also put their patients on a pre gastric sleeve diet, as a preparation phase. During this phase, the patients are weaned off sugar, sugar substitutes, fried food, and fatty food. Patients who follow a diet before the surgery find it easier to adjust to a post gastric sleeve diet.

The gastric sleeve surgery can restrict the amount of food you eat, since the procedure involves the surgical removal of a large portion of the stomach that reduces the size of the stomach to about 25% of its original size. However, the surgery cannot restrict the kind of food you eat. So, even if you are eating small portions of food, you could be eating calorie rich foods that will not let you lose the amount of weight you need to lose. In fact, many people gain the weight back by not following the diet long-term.

What to eat after the surgery?

After the surgery, one should consult the surgeon and nutrition professional or a registered dietician who works with gastric sleeve patients for advice on post gastric sleeve diet.

Most of your weight loss takes place within the first year or two after surgery. During this time, you will be advised to eat about 600 - 800 calories a day. Later, the intake will be increased to 1000 to 1200 calories a day.

Most of the patients receive the same advice on post surgery diet, even though specific recommendations will vary by surgeon. Generally, the post gastric sleeve diet is a specific way of eating, divided into mainly four phases. The four phases last for about 3 months.

The first phase

In the first phase of the diet, the patient is advised to take liquid diet for about 2 days. This phase begins immediately after the surgery and aids a fast recovery from the surgery. The patient can consume clear liquids, such as water, broth, tea without milk or sugar, skim milk, sugar-less gelatin and unsweetened juice.

The Second Phase

In the second phase, the patient can eat foods in the puree form. The food items such as soft fruits, vegetables, beans and lean meat are ground with liquids such as water, broth, skim milk or gravy. There should be no solid pieces of food in the puree. This phase begins on the second day after the surgery and lasts about three to four weeks after the surgery.

The Third Phase

This phase lasts for the next four weeks. In this phase, one can eat mashed foods, such as soft vegetables, fruits, and tender meat. The foods can be mashed with a fork. One should avoid adding any oil, sugar, and salt to the mashed food. This phase lasts until eight or 12 weeks

The Fourth Phase

This is the last phase of the diet and in this phase, the patient can eat solid food. However, the use of oil, spices and calorie dense foods is restricted.

The patient can resume a normal diet after about a year or so after the surgery, but only gradually.

General Guidelines

The gastric sleeve surgery reduces the size of the stomach by almost 60% to 80%. Therefore, in addition to following a specific diet after the surgery, the patient also has to make certain lifelong dietary changes. Here are a few dietary changes that should be followed after a gastric sleeve surgery:

1. Never eat and drink at the same time since the reduced capacity of the stomach will not let it hold solid foods and liquids at the same time. So, drink liquids before or between meals. Drink at least 12 cups of liquid throughout the day.

2. Eat small quantities at each meal. Have at least five meals a day to get sufficient proteins, minerals, and vitamins.

3. Never lay down too soon after eating. This may lead to a reflux or cause a buildup of mucus.

4. Chew your food thoroughly before you swallow it. Chew your food at least 15 times before swallowing. Avoid foods that cannot be chewed well.

5. Adhere to moderate, regular exercise to maintain your weight loss and health.

About the Author

Rashmi Kalia, Medical Writer, writes frequently on weight loss topics, such as Gastric Sleeve in Cancun and Bariatric Surgeon in Cancun, Mexico, to share her knowledge on diverse topics related to weight loss.

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